1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a visceral fat estimation apparatus for estimating a visceral fat of a person to be measured.
2. Prior Art
Various types of apparatus for measuring a body fat of a person that is considered as the cause of adiposity have been known in the art. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-49050 discloses a body fat weight meter in which a personal data such as sex, height and age is entered and measurement of body weight and impedance between extreme parts of the body is performed for estimating the weight of fat tissue in a whole body. Also known in the art is an MRI apparatus or an X-ray CT apparatus in which a tomogram of an abdomen (or a navel region) of the body is taken and an analysis of the picture is performed to derive a subcutaneous fat area or a visceral fat area.
Furthermore, several types of calorie calculators for promptly calculating calorie intake and calorie consumption due to an exercise have been proposed for the purpose of curing any adiposity.
In this connection the adiposity is divided into two types: subcutaneous fat type and visceral fat type. Recently it becomes more important to know the amount of visceral fat due to the fact that it greatly contributes to onset of adult noncomminicable disease. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether the adiposity is of subcutaneous fat type or of visceral fat type.
Unfortunately the prior art apparatus as described above are defective in the following point of view: The body fat weight meter provides the body fat mass and body fat rate only in a whole body. The MRI and X-ray CT apparatus are expensive in cost. In addition, an expert person is necessary for positioning a person to be measured so that he lies facing upward and keeps such posture during the period of measurement. Accordingly, the person to be measured can't operate the apparatus by himself, which means that the apparatus is not suitable for home use. Furthermore, the apparatus is bulky and cumbersome in handling. It takes longer period of time for measurement. In particular, during the measurement using the X-ray CT apparatus, the person to be measured may be subjected to exposure of radiation that is lower in dose, not substantially affected to the health. Therefore, the person is not mentally willing to have the measurement using the X-ray. Moreover, any repetition of several times of such measurement is not allowable because of accumulation in dose of exposure of radiation.
On the other hand, the calorie calculator in the prior art has capability of simply calculating the calorie value, but has nothing associated with the body fat meter. In order to cure any adiposity it is highly desire to have some function of associating the calorie control with the visceral fat meter in such manner that the current value of visceral fat area or body fat rate can be measured; if it falls within the region of adiposity then the target value of visceral fat area or body fat rate can be set; and the further target value of calorie intake and calorie consumption to attain said target value can be set. There are some apparatus available in the market having capability of setting the target value of body fat rate and calorie consumption, but none of them provide function of additionally setting the target value of calorie intake and visceral fat area.
In view of the above an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for estimating visceral fat in which measurement of visceral fat can easily be made; if it falls within the region of adiposity then the target value of visceral fat area can be set; and the calorie intake and the calorie consumption can be controlled to attain said target value.